


Necessary Risk

by merentha13



Category: The Professionals
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-03
Updated: 2012-05-03
Packaged: 2017-11-04 19:13:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/397252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merentha13/pseuds/merentha13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another op gone bad, another trip to hospital and a slightly irritated Cowley...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Necessary Risk

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve combined a couple of writing styles here – I’m not sure how well it worked.  
> Thanks to ci5mates and Maddalia for their input - they made it a better story.

Ray heard a voice shouting, shouting his name and it made him smile. Bodie. At least Bodie got out. He turned to join his partner and the world exploded in bright, white light, searing heat and ear shattering noise. He couldn’t see; he couldn’t hear; but it didn’t matter. He knew Bodie was safe. Now there were hands bundling him up; ropes around his wrists and ankles, his own belt wrapped around his mouth as a gag. But it didn’t matter. Bodie was safe. 

## 

“Bodie! They’ve found Doyle.”

“What? Where?” 

“No time to explain. Grab your gear. I’ll drive.”

“Where, Murph?”

“On the Heath, the cottages.”

“What?”

“Close your mouth, sweetheart, you look like a fish…”

“Murph.”

“Don’t know the whole story. A call came in from the Met. A couple of Uniform lads found a body… er… a man, unconscious. Cowley stormed out of the office, pretty upset from what Betty said.”

“Why’d they call us?”

“One of the PCs recognised Doyle. He had worked with Ray on the Braedon op a few years ago. And before you ask, there is no other information. Doyle must have been dropped there early this morning. The plods on detail last night didn’t report seeing anything unusual. This morning…”

“They found Ray.”

“Yeah.”

“Any word on his condition?”

“I told you, no.”

“He’s been missing for two weeks, Murph.”

“I know.”

“We don’t even know for sure who had him.”

“No, we don’t. But it’s a pretty good bet it was the IRA. You heard the rumours floating about that they planned to get a British intelligence agent to try to sell to the Russians.”

“And we walked right into it. Bloody Doyle. I warned him about that grass of his. But does he listen to me? Knows his own mind, Doyle does. Once it’s made up, there’s no changing it.”

“It’s worked well enough for the two of you in the past.” 

“Yeah, Murph, but don’t let him - Oi! Hampstead is the other way.” 

“Easy, mate. They took Ray to Guy’s. Cowley said to meet him there.”

“What are you waiting for then. Step on it, Murph.” 

“I’m going, I’m going… Here we are. For fuck’s sake, Bodie, let me stop the car before you… daft sod.”

##

Consciousness returned. Ray woke slowly, confused and disoriented. Things were the same, yet somehow different. He was still naked, but he was no longer cold. He was covered with a soft blanket and there was something warm wrapped around his left hand. He thought it had been there for some time. There were still needles and lines in his flesh, but he didn’t feel any pain. He still couldn’t see; the darkness remained. He felt his heart contract. Was he dead? The warmth surrounding his hand squeezed in reassurance, as if it could sense his thoughts. No, not dead then. There’d be no comfort where he was going after death. 

The air around him was filled with voices, some angry, but they didn’t seem to be directed at him. There were no harsh questions, no accusations. Still, they made him uneasy. He shuddered. The warmth around his hand disappeared. He embarrassed himself by whimpering. He’d withstood their torture without a sound; why would loosing that gentle contact break him. And then he knew. He’d broken the rules. He’d allowed himself to hope. The gentleness and the caring had finally done what all the pain and blood and threats had not been able to do. He was done. Before he could move, the hand returned, this time to his forehead, brushing the hair away from his still closed eyes. ‘Shh’. He heard a voice whisper near his ear. ‘You’re safe now, Ray. It’s over.’ He heard himself moan as he rocked his head back and forth on the pillow. This he couldn’t fight. He knew that voice. How had they got Bodie? Had all this been for nothing? He’d held out, not answering their questions, giving them nothing. It all had been a waste. They had Bodie, too. 

He tried to pull away and the pain made him call out. The voices around him stopped. The Bodie voice continued to try to soothe him. The gentle hands tried to hold him down. But he wasn’t having any of it. If they had Bodie, he had to do something to get them both out of this. He fought off the hands trying to still him. He felt the cold rush of liquid in his veins as the needle punctured his skin. “Noooo,” he forced words out of a dry throat, “Bodie…”

##

“Again, from the beginning, Bodie.”

“You have my report, sir. I’d rather…”

“Doyle will be in surgery for several hours. We’ve got time. And enough of your sighs and eye rolling.”

“Sir.”

“Well, man. Get on with it.”

“We got a tip that the Russians had a cache of guns in the barn that were headed for the IRA. It came from one of Ray’s grasses. Turned out, it was a trap. Anson and I had gone in to the barn, while Ray and Murphy waited outside. Whoever it was inside surprised us. They were able to take us hostage. They took us out through some sort of tunnel that led from the barn to the woods.”

“Did they give you any inkling as to why they didn’t kill you immediately?”

“Overheard them talking. Seems they needed a British agent. They were pleasantly surprised when they ended up with two of us. Bloody hell, I’ve already told you all of this.”

“And I want to hear it again.”

“They were amateurs. Anson and I were able to get away. We were heading back towards the barn when we heard shots. We got there too late. Murphy told us that when we didn’t come back out, Doyle ran inside. There were several more men waiting there. We traded bullets and they must have tossed a few grenades. When the smoke cleared, Ray was gone. I don’t understand why he went in.”

“Don’t you, 3.7?”

“He… he must have gone in looking for me.”

“Yes, Bodie, he did. And I’ll address that with him at a later time.”

##

Voices brought Ray back around. Cowley and Bodie and a third voice. He was aware now that he was in hospital. The third man must be the doctor. He kept still, hoping that no one would realise that he was awake. People said things with a bit less care, or with a bit more honesty, if they thought you were still unconscious. He knew he’d been badly hurt. His ribs were taped and he could feel the pull of the stitches in his back and thigh. There was bandaging around his eyes. That scared and upset him the most. The other wounds would heal given time. But if he was blind – well then it was all over for him. For him and Bodie and their partnership. His body tensed. The warmth he remembered surrounding his hand from before, was still there. Fingers gently caressed his wrist, trying to soothe. Bodie knew he was awake. 

##

“Mr Doyle will be fine, George. He has a couple of broken ribs, several lacerations that required stitching and a myriad of scrapes and bruises. There were no internal injuries. He should consider himself a lucky man.”

“What about his eyes?”

“Ah yes. Mr Bodie, is it? Mr Doyle’s partner?”

“Just Bodie. Will he lose his sight?”

“No. He suffered corneal abrasions in both eyes. I’ve been told he was involved in an explosion?” 

“Grenades, yes.”

“The heat from the blast burned his corneas; think of it as a sunburn. He’ll recover just fine with rest and antibiotics.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“All part of the job. George, if you would, I have a few things I’d like to discuss with you.”

“Of course. Bodie, you’ll wait for me here. We have a visit to make to a certain warehouse by the river this afternoon.”

##

Ray heard footsteps walk out of the room and felt the mattress sink as the weight of another body joined him in the bed. Bodie. The shivering that had started with the doctor’s words was growing stronger. He couldn’t stop it. He thought he might be crying, but the wrap around his eyes kept the tears from flowing. Bodie knew, though and pulled him into a tight embrace. Bodie’s warmth and strength combined to fight the tremors that threatened to shake him apart. ‘Shh, sunshine. You’re going to be all right.’ Bodie’s confirmation of the doctor’s words made them real. He would be okay. They would be okay. Bodie’s lips brushed softly against his and he let Bodie’s quiet murmurs of reassurance lull him into sleep.

##

“Your man, he will be ok, tovarich?

“Yes. He will recover. Thank you, Grigor. And your’s? The bruises look painful.”

“Yes, he, too, will recover.”

“That is good.”

“We’re sorry, tovarich, that your man had an accident while visiting with our comrades.”

“Yes, a very unfortunate accident. One that we should both hope doesn’t occur again.”

“As you say.” 

“I’m glad we understand each other, Grigor.”

“We are curious, though. What prompted such a man to take that very dangerous risk? He must have been searching for something very precious, no?

“Aye, very precious, indeed.”

“And he found it?”

“He did.”

“You must tell him to be more careful with it in future.”

“I will see that your message is delivered, Grigor.

“Will that be all, tovarich?”

“That’s all. Unless you have something to say, Bentley?”

“Ah… Liverpool for the cup… sir.”


End file.
